


The Gift of Winter

by thislittlekumquat



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Holidays, M/M, THEY JUST LOVE EACH OTHER OK, for my dear bready and her au, hint of spice, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21902827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thislittlekumquat/pseuds/thislittlekumquat
Summary: Gavin's not much of a holiday person, and he doesn't need to be, now that he just lives in the woods with his forest god boyfriend, but he really wants to do this one thing for Niles. The problem is, he's never been much good at it.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	The Gift of Winter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OhNoMyBreadsticks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhNoMyBreadsticks/gifts).



> This is for my good Bready! Her Forest God Nines AU is like my favorite thing on the planet so please go check it out, it recently finished updating the main story arc, and it's SOOOOO GOOD so anyways please love these boys' love with me <3

It was the winter after Gavin had been given his now-indispensable magic cloak.

Really, it was more than a cloak. It was time spent with Niles, memories to cherish and growth fostered in Gavin when the branches around them were stark and bare.

Now winter came and Gavin didn’t have to dread it. It was all a gift. And a gift was something he could repay in kind.

But what to give Niles, his perfect and very much immortal boyfriend? It’s not like material goods were really of concern. And anyways, he already had more finery than Gavin could have afforded even when he was living in the city and had an actual job.

The thought occupied his mind for weeks as the weather turned colder, and the first snows came blustering in, and he lay curled in Niles’ arms night after night as they fell asleep, warm and happy from food and sex and being together. 

Gavin figured Niles could see the gears turning in his head, since he thought about the problem almost constantly. He became fascinated with watching the way Niles handled all of his - their - belongings, the way he chose or disregarded clothing, the way he moved about unbothered by the physicality of any task or space.

It was frustrating. Gavin had never been good at gifts, and Black Friday had been his only methodology in the few cases where he had ever found himself buying holiday gifts for people.

What did you give someone who didn’t want for anything?

The days passed, and there was a constant blanket of snow on the ground. The winter solstice was approaching - he’d miraculously been able to tell that the days hadn’t quite dwindled all the way down yet, and Niles commented on its drawing near one day after Gavin had had a particularly difficult time rousing himself. His winter-proof cloak didn’t change the fact that the night was long, and the morning light was weak. Gavin’s tendencies followed the seasons now, and so he tended to want to sleep until noon.

Niles was, as always, kind but firm with him, and so it was that Gavin found himself sitting by the fire, carefully hand-stitching a patch over where he’d worn out the elbow of a tunic, when it occurred to him what he could do for Niles.

~

He only had a few days in which to enact his plan, and it was surprisingly difficult to get time alone. He couldn’t forego sleep the way Niles had when he was making Gavin’s cloak. He was also worried that his idea was corny or that it would come out lame. But he had to persevere, he’d feel doubly lame if he had the idea and then gave up.

One morning, when Niles wanted to go wandering, Gavin claimed he was tired, and wanted to rest more. It was a particularly grey day, the kind that lingered and almost smothered you with the promise (but never delivery) of thick snow.

Niles flicked one ear knowingly - damn him, Gavin knew he knew something was up - but merely said, “Feel better, love,” before shifting into his preferred form for roaming and set off.

Gavin figured he had a couple of hours, at least, and he got to work. He knew by now which trinkets were important and which wouldn’t be missed. Or rather, which wouldn’t need to be used for something more important than this. He felt that this was important anyways, if for nothing else except his own pride and vanity.

~

The next morning, Gavin managed to wake himself before Niles. Step one, success. Although with the way his heart raced at the idea of trying to say his piece, it wasn’t long before Niles was alert. Resting, because he knew there was nothing wrong, but awake, and attentive to Gavin, as always. It made Gavin soft, and calmed him, when Niles looked at him like that.

“Morning,” he said, leaning in to press a kiss to Niles’ forehead.

Niles smiled back at him. “Good morning, Gavin. Did you sleep well?”

Gavin nodded, and propped himself up on one elbow to look down at Niles. The god’s eyes were large, piercing and soft at the same time, gazing up at him serenely through lovely long eyelashes. Gavin on a whim leaned down to press a kiss to one of Niles’ eyelids, which closed complacently for him to do so. “I have something for you,” he said.

Niles blinked up at him slowly. “Oh? This is very sweet of you, I’m sure. What is it?”

“Close your eyes, it’s a present, you doofus.”

Niles couldn’t help a small breath of laughter as he did as Gavin asked.

Gavin reached under the stack of furs next to their bed and pulled out what he’d made. First himself, then Niles, just above the first branching of his left antler.

One eyebrow rose in curiosity, and Gavin held up his wrist before Niles’ face before saying softly, “Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

His stomach did a delicate somersault as Niles eyes fixed on Gavin’s wrist, on the small band woven from gold chain and braided straw. He lifted his own hand to feel at his antler, where a similar band was loosely placed. 

“They’re-”

“They match. Matching bands. You know, because we’re. Together, and stuff. Kinda like wedding bands, if you were a human, which you’re not, and like, that’s not what they are or anything, but I wanted to get you something, and you just have everything you need, but it’s you know, the holidays back where I come from, and well-”

“Gavin, I love you very much, did you know that?”

Gavin stared at Niles as he also propped himself up on one elbow and took his forearm, kissing the skin of his wrist, nudging the band with his nose. “And mine will still fit even when I change shape. I’m in love, really. I never would have thought to ask for or make such a beautiful thing.”

Gavin felt more than heard himself breathe a huge sigh of relief. “Really? You like it?”

“I love it almost as much as I love you, only because I don’t think I could love anyone or anything as much as I love you.”

Gavin snorted and laughed at the same time. He was glad, and so relieved. He’d worked pretty hard on the braiding. It wasn’t too bad. He’d done his own first, so it was a bit messier. “You have your whole forest and shit out there, babe, you can’t pick me over it.”

“It’s a good thing I don’t have to choose, because I think I might be tempted to pick you, you know.”

Niles was smiling that little smile that meant he was getting sentimental. Gavin loved that smile. “You would not, don’t fuck with me.”

“I only want to fuck you, not fuck with you, my wonderful love.”

That made Gavin’s cheeks light up, and he leaned in ever so slightly closer, as if he wasn’t blushing furiously. “That I would accept any time, any day, so that’s not the worst thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Niles really laughed then, and Gavin’s flush settled into a soft, contented pink.

“Shall I show you my gratitude now then?” the god asked.

“I’d love that, I can see how my gift stays on when it’s in motion, you know,” his human teased in reply.

As they discovered, it was, in fact, well-designed, but they tested it several times. Just to be sure. After all, it was winter. What else did they have to do besides love each other?


End file.
